Bamidbar
Chukat, Aliyah 4 חקת, רביעי
Part of: ChukatChukat, Aliyah 4Chapter 20
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Bamidbar 20
וַיִּשְׁלַח מֹשֶׁה מַלְאָכִים מִקָּדֵשׁ אֶל־מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם כֹּה אָמַר אָחִיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת כׇּל־הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָֽתְנוּ׃
Moshe sent emissaries from Kodeish to the King of Edom (saying), “This is what your brother Yisroel declares; you know of all the hardship that we have encountered.
Moshe sent emissaries from Kodeish to the King of Edom (saying), “This is what your brother Yisroel declares; you know of all the hardship that we have encountered.
Rashi
אתה ידעת את כל התלאה. לְפִיכָךְ פֵּרֵשׁ אֲבִיכֶם מֵעַל אָבִינוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ מִפְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אָחִיו" (בראשית ל״ו:ו׳) — מִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁטָר חוֹב הַמֻּטָּל עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהִטִּילוֹ עַל יַעֲקֹב:
You know of all the hardship. Therefore, your father parted from our father, as it is said, “he went to a land because of his brother Yaakov” — because of the bill of debt incumbent upon them, he placed the burden on Yaakov.
וַיֵּרְדוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ מִצְרַיְמָה וַנֵּשֶׁב בְּמִצְרַיִם יָמִים רַבִּים וַיָּרֵעוּ לָנוּ מִצְרַיִם וְלַאֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃
Our forefathers went down to Egypt and we remained in Egypt for a long time; the Egyptians mistreated us and our forefathers.
Our forefathers went down to Egypt and we remained in Egypt for a long time; the Egyptians mistreated us and our forefathers.
Rashi
וירעו לנו. סָבַלְנוּ צָרוֹת רַבּוֹת:
[The Egyptians] mistreated us. We endured much suffering.
ולאבתינו. מִכָּאן שֶׁהָאָבוֹת מִצְטַעֲרִים בַּקֶּבֶר כְּשֶׁפֻּרְעָנוּת בָּאָה עַל יִשְֹרָאֵל (עי' תנחומא):
And our forefathers. From here we derive that the forefathers suffer in the grave when punishment is visited on Israel.
וַנִּצְעַק אֶל־יְהֹוָה וַיִּשְׁמַע קֹלֵנוּ וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָךְ וַיֹּצִאֵנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ בְקָדֵשׁ עִיר קְצֵה גְבוּלֶֽךָ׃
Then we cried out to Adonoy, and He heard our voice, He sent an emissary and led us out of Egypt; now we are in Kodeish, a city at the edge of your border.
Then we cried out to Adonoy, and He heard our voice, He sent an emissary and led us out of Egypt; now we are in Kodeish, a city at the edge of your border.
Rashi
וישמע קלנו. בַּבְּרָכָה שֶׁבֵּרְכָנוּ אָבִינוּ "הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב", שֶׁאָנוּ צוֹעֲקִים וְנַעֲנִים (תנחומא בשלח):
And He heard our voice. Through the blessing bestowed by our forefather [Yitzchak], “the voice is the voice of Yaakov.” For, we cry out, and are answered.
מלאך. זֶה מֹשֶׁה, מִכָּאן שֶׁהַנְּבִיאִים קְרוּאִים מַלְאָכִים, וְאוֹמֵר "וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְעִבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" (דברי הימים ב' ל"ו):
An emissary. This refers to Moshe. From here we derive that the prophets are called “emissaries” It also says, “they would insult the emissaries of God.”
נַעְבְּרָה־נָּא בְאַרְצֶךָ לֹא נַעֲבֹר בְּשָׂדֶה וּבְכֶרֶם וְלֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מֵי בְאֵר דֶּרֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ נֵלֵךְ לֹא נִטֶּה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול עַד אֲשֶֽׁר־נַעֲבֹר גְּבֻלֶֽךָ׃
Please let us pass through your land, we will not pass through any field or vineyard, and we will not drink well water; we will travel by the king’s road, we will not turn aside to the right or left, until we have passed through your territory.”
Please let us pass through your land, we will not pass through any field or vineyard, and we will not drink well water; we will travel by the king’s road, we will not turn aside to the right or left, until we have passed through your territory.”
Rashi
נעברה נא בארצך. אֵין לְךָ לְעוֹרֵר עַל הַיְרֻשָּׁה שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁלֹּא פָרַעְתָּ הַחוֹב, עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ עֵזֶר מְעַט לַעֲבֹר דֶּרֶךְ אַרְצְךָ:
Please let us to pass through your land. You should not challenge the inheritance of the land of Israel, as you did not pay the debt. Do, for us, the small favor of passing through your land.
ולא נשתה מי באר. מֵי בוֹרוֹת הָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר, אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדֵנוּ מָן לֶאֱכֹל וּבְאֵר לִשְׁתּוֹת, לֹא נִשְׁתֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ, אֶלָּא נִקְנֶה מִכֶּם אֹכֶל וּמַיִם לַהֲנָאַתְכֶם, מִכָּאן לְאַכְסְנַאי אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לֶאֱכֹל יִקְנֶה מִן הַחֶנְוָנִי, כְּדֵי לְהַנּוֹת אֶת אֻשְׁפִּיזוֹ (תנחומא):
We will not drink well water. It should have said, “cistern water.” But this is what Moshe said: ”Although we have in our possession manna to eat and the well [water] to drink, we will not drink from it, but we will buy food and drink from you, for your benefit.” From here [we derive] that, although a guest has provisions in his possession, he should buy from the shopkeeper, in order to benefit his host.
דרך המלך נלך וגו'. אָנוּ חוֹסְמִים אֶת בְּהֶמְתֵּנוּ וְלֹא יִטּוּ לְכָאן וּלְכָאן לֶאֱכֹל (שם):
We will travel by the king’s road. We will muzzle our animals, so that they will not turn every which way to eat.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱדוֹם לֹא תַעֲבֹר בִּי פֶּן־בַּחֶרֶב אֵצֵא לִקְרָאתֶֽךָ׃
Edom responded, “You shall not pass through me (my land), lest I go out against you with the sword!”
Edom responded, “You shall not pass through me (my land), lest I go out against you with the sword!”
Rashi
פן בחרב אצא לקראתך. אַתֶּם מִתְגָּאִים בְּקוֹל שֶׁהוֹרִישְׁכֶם אֲבִיכֶם וְאוֹמְרִים "וַנִּצְעַק אֶל ה' וַיִּשְׁמַע קֹלֵנוּ", וַאֲנִי אֵצֵא עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמַה שֶּׁהוֹרִישֵׁנִי אָבִי "וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ תִחְיֶה" (בראשית כ"ז):
Lest I go out against you with the sword. You pride yourselves with the voice you inherited from your forefather, saying, “we cried out to God, and he heard our voice.” Well, I will go out against you with my forefather’s legacy, “you shall live by your sword.”
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּֽמְסִלָּה נַעֲלֶה וְאִם־מֵימֶיךָ נִשְׁתֶּה אֲנִי וּמִקְנַי וְנָתַתִּי מִכְרָם רַק אֵין־דָּבָר בְּרַגְלַי אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃
Bnei Yisroel said, “We will go up by the highway, and if we or our cattle drink your water we will pay for it, it is just nothing, we only want to pass through on foot.”
Bnei Yisroel said, “We will go up by the highway, and if we or our cattle drink your water we will pay for it, it is just nothing, we only want to pass through on foot.”
Rashi
רק אין דבר. אֵין שׁוּם דָּבָר מַזִּיקְךָ:
It is just nothing. Nothing at all will harm you.
וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תַעֲבֹר וַיֵּצֵא אֱדוֹם לִקְרָאתוֹ בְּעַם כָּבֵד וּבְיָד חֲזָקָֽה׃
Then (Edom) responded, “Do not pass through!” Edom came to confront [Bnei Yisroel] with a massive number of people and a strong hand.
Then (Edom) responded, “Do not pass through!” Edom came to confront [Bnei Yisroel] with a massive number of people and a strong hand.
Rashi
וביד חזקה. בְּהַבְטָחַת זְקֵנֵנוּ "וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו" (שם):
And a strong hand. With our grandfather’s assurance, “but the hands are the hands of Eisav.”
וַיְמָאֵן ׀ אֱדוֹם נְתֹן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבֹר בִּגְבֻלוֹ וַיֵּט יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעָלָֽיו׃ {פ}
Edom refused to allow Yisroel to pass through its territory, and Yisroel turned aside from him.
Edom refused to allow Yisroel to pass through its territory, and Yisroel turned aside from him.
אחיך ישראל. מָה רָאָה לְהַזְכִּיר כָּאן אַחֲוָה? אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ אַחִים אֲנַחְנוּ, בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ" (בראשית ט"ו), וְעַל שְׁנֵינוּ הָיָה אוֹתוֹ הַחוֹב לְפָרְעוֹ (תנחומא):
Your brother Yisroel. Why did Moshe see fit to mention brotherhood here? But he said to him, “We are brothers, children of Avrohom, to whom it was said, ‘[Know] . . . that your descendants will be strangers [in a land that is not theirs]’, and we were both responsible for fulfilling that obligation.”